Stamp-affixing device.



A. FISCHER. STAMP AFFIXING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV.11, 1913.

1,108,729.. Patented Aug125, 1914 .F fig. 2. I 5.

All:

fizvenifo'r Worney,

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHDTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C

rinirnn s'rATns PATENT onnren.

Anonrn rrsonnn, or wnrivrnn, GERMANY.

STAMP-AFFIXING nnvlon.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 1"1, 191s. Serial n). 800,380,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLrH Frscrrnna subjcctof the German Emperor, residing at l i eimar, Grand Duchy of. Saxe-Neimar, Eisenach, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Stamp-Aifixing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for affixing-stamps, in which the band of stamps coming from a roller is guided over a drum, and the stamp to be afiixed is pressed 1n po-' sition by depressing a plunger after the gummed side of the stamp has been auto niatically moistened.

. According to my invention, the drum over which the strip of postage stamps is guided, is mounted for rotary movement only; that is to say, no vertical' movement takes place, but the plates constituting the sides of the drum are radially movable and exposed to the action of the plunger in suchta manner that when the latter is depressed, the'lowermost plate with the stamp thereon is brought in an exactly vertical manner on to, for instance, an envelop, and pressed upon it. The radially movable plates, which are normally drawn by springs or other elastic means toward the spindle ofthedrum, are provided with teeth on their rear side (with reference to the rotation of the, drum), while on the edges of the drum itself'are arranged fixed rakes; so that when the plunger is depressed,the stationary rakes hold. fast the remainder of the strip of stamps, while the teeth on the then lowermost plate separates the postage stamp when the plate is depressed, without a separate cutting otl device being required.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichf Figure 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is 'a View from the same side as'Fig. 1, but with the frame wall removed. Fig. 3 is a section on line A B of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 shows the drum in front elevation, partly in section.

In the lower portion of the frame 1 is mounted a pentagonal drum 3 rotatable about the spindle 2, the surface of the said drum being formed of plates 4 of a length equal to that of a postage stamp. These plates are held in position onthe circumference of the drum by springs 5. .Betweenthe plates 4:, on the longitudinal :edges of the drum 3 rakes 6 are'provided, the teeth of whichcoincide' with the perforations of the postage stamp strip 15. Each of the plates 4 is provided at its rear edge (in the direction of rotation of the drum) with a rake 7, the teeth of which coincide with those of the rakes 6, so that the teeth of two adjoining rakes 6, 7 can jointly pass through the corresponding series of holes in the strip. The roller 8, with the strip of stamps wound thereon, is pushed over a roll 9 provided at the side of the frame 1, and is held on the said roll by friction by a spring 10 with which the latter. is provided. The roll 9, rotatable about the spindle 11, is controlled by a weak drag spring which gives a certain inertia to the roll during the unwinding of the strip. The :strip 15 passes over a guide roller 12 and then over the circumference of the pentagonal drum 3. The teeth of a rakelike drag spring 1 1, .pressedby the spring 13 against the circumference of the drum, engage between the teeth of the rakes 6 and 7, and thus insure correct engagement of the said rake teeth with the perforations of the stamp strip.

In the frame 1 is arranged a vertically movable plunger. 18 which is providedwith a handle 16 and is normally held in raised position by a spring l'i the vertical arms 19 of the said plunger passing in front of the PatentedAug.25,1914.

ends of the drum 3. These arms 19 are pro- The plunger 18 isprovided with lateralv pins 21 which extend into vertical guide slots 22' inithe'sides of the frame 1. During the depressionof the plunger '18, one of the pins 21 acts on a lever 94 pivoted at 23 to theouter side of the frame, so that the lower arm of said lever swings toward the left, Figs-1, against the action of the spring 9-5, and in thatway, by means of a pawl 26 pivoted to its lower end and acting on a ratchet wheel 27 secured to the spindle of the drum 3, advances the latter one fifth of a revolution. A spring pawl 28 secured to the frame 1 and engaging with said ratchet wheel 27, prevents the drum 3 from turning back again. After the depression of the plunger 18 and consequent advance of the drum 3 in the manner described, the lever 24: is held in its position by the spring pressed pawl 29 which engages the upper end of said lever and remalns soengaged until lifted by the pin 21 when the plungerl completes its ascent. Lever 2a is then automatically returned by spring 25 into pdsition to again effect rotation of the drum, but i until the release of pawl 29 takesplace, it is while the teeth of the rakeeplate 14, being situated between the said teeth .6 and -7 I tend to press the strip .against the drum.

This introduction oi the postage stamp strip can be easily effected, as the corresponding side of the drum 3 can be uncovered by rocking the hereinaftendescribed tank 38 away from said drum, said tank being hinged at 39 to the frame.

The operation ofthe device is as follows: When the plunger 18 is depressed by the handle 16, the lever 2a is first actuated, the pin 2i sliding along the curved edge 41 of the said lever. In that way, the drum 3 vis advanced one"step by the pawl 26 and ratchet Wheel 27. The pawl 28 then locks the drum 3/in the new position, while the pawl 29 at. the same time engages oehind the upper end of the lever 24: so that the latter is lecked during the further descent as well as during the subsequent. ascent oi the/plunger. During the advance of the drum 3, "the latter has unwound the strip 15 to the ext nt of one stamp by means of the teeth 6, 7 on its sides, and the first stamp of the strip is now under the lowermost plate a of the drum. During the further descent of the plunger 18, the pins 21 act on the curved edges 33 of the pair of le vel'S .31, which operate the moistening device. These levers are pivoted at their upper ends 31 and have their lowerends enlarged and formed with slots 31 for the reception of the reduced ends or trunnions of the perforated, hollow moistener. roller 81 the latter being Gonnected at one of its ends with tank 38' by means of a flexible tube or pipe 3 1?, which communicates. with the bottom-of said tank. The; arrangement is such,- therefore, that the levers 31 are caused by the action of; pins 21 against their edges 33 to swing toward spindle 2, as will be understood from Fig. 1, thereby carrying with them, in he am di ectiom m T0116? 31*, which. is kept constantly moistened by reason' o'f its connection with tank 38 and which, in consequence, molstens the gummed face of the stamp, the said roller being drawn upward toward the drum by the action of the springs 31 lhe lower ends 20 of the arms 19 of the plunger have in the meantime reached the said plate i, so that the lattea during'the further descent of the plunger, is moved away from the drum 3, the rake 7 provided on the rear edge of the plate, tearing off the stamp from the strip 15, the said stamp then being pressed and stuck'on the, support as the plate l continuesto descend. When the atlixin'g of the stamp is completed, the plunger 18 is al-- lowed to rise under the action of the spring 17, the plate 4 first returning te-its original position onthe circumference of the drum 8, whereupon the levers 31 with the moistiening roller 31 are returned by the spring 42 to their original position, and finally, on completion of the ascent of the plunger 18, the pawl 29 is disengaged, so that the 3 lever 24: can return to its position ready for use under the action {of the spring '25,

and the whole device is ready for use again.

VVhatI claim is: 1. In a stamp-aiiixingdevice, the combinat1on,w1th means for supporting a perforated strip ofstamps; of a drum over" which the strip passes having counterpart, radiallymovable plates constitutingfthe circumference thereof; means for rotating the drum;

coo eratin stri efeedin means rovided o 23 upon said plates and the longitudinal edges of the drum forengagement in the perforations in said strip during the rotation of said drum; and means for depressing the lowermost plateatter each rotation of the. drum, to sever the stamp carried thereby from said strip. p a

2. In a stamp-afiixingdevice, the combination of. a striprfeeding drum having counter-part, radially-movable stamp apply'ing plates constituting the circumference thereof; means for imparting astep by-step rotary movement to'the druinyand means for depressi g the lowermost rotation of said drum. 3. In a stamp=atfixing device,"the combination of a strip-feeding drum having counterpart, radially movable stamp P applying plates constituting the circumference there of; meansfor' imparting a step-by-step rotarym'ovement t0 the drum and a depressible element provided with means for actuating the first-named means during its down conclusion of such movement. 7 V

4. In a stamp-aifixmg devlce, the combina-' plate after each I tion of a strip-feeding drum having coun-' terpart, radiallyunovable stamp-applying plates constituting the circumference thereer; lever-operated means for imparting a step-by-step rotary movement to the drum; and a depressible element provided with a pin for actuating the first-named means, and with inwardly-projecting means arranged to engage and depress the lowermost plate at the conclusion of such movement.

5. In a stamp-affixing device, the combination, with means for supporting a perforated strip of stamps; of a drum over which the strip passes having counterpart, radially-movable plates constituting the circumference thereof; means for rotating the drum; cooperating series of rake teeth provided upon the rear edges of said plates and between the adjacent edges of successive plates, for engagement in the perforations in the said strip, to feed the latter during the rotation of the drum; and means for depressing the lowermost plate'after each rotation of the drum, to sever the stamp carried thereby from said strip.

6. In a stamp-affixing device, the combi nation, with means for supporting a perforated strip of stamps; of a drum over which the strip passes having counterpart, radially-movable plates constituting the circumference thereof; means for rotating the drum; cooperating strip-feeding means provided upon said plates and the longitudinal edges of the drum for engagement in the perforations in said strip during the rotation of said drum; a spring rake acting upon said cooperating strip-feeding means, to insure the engagement of the latter in said perforations; and means for depressing the lowermost plate after each rotation of the drum, to sever the stamp carried thereby from said strip.

7. In a stamp-aflixing device, the combination, with means for supporting a perforated strip of stamps; of a drum over which the strip passes having counterpart, radially-movable plates constituting the circumference thereof; means for rotating the drum; cooperating series of rake teeth provided upon the rear edges of said plates and between the adjacent edges of successive plates, for engagement in the perforations in the said strip, to feed the latter during therotation of the drum; a spring rake having its teeth arranged between said cooperating series of teeth, to insure their engagement in said perforations; and means for depressing the lowermost plate after each rotation of the drum, to sever the stamp carried thereby from said strip.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADOLPI-I FISCHER.

Witnesses ERNST EBERHARDT, HULDA ScHRoDnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

